Life goes On
by mnicolee17
Summary: Zariah Thayer is your average 21 year old college student, who's recently moved to a new town with her younger sister Stella after their Grandmother fell ill, who took them both in after an incident when the eldest Thayer was 14. Moving in with her best friend Ellen seems ideal, until Zariah is sucked into the universe of Freddy Fazbear Pizza and meets many...strange individuals.
1. Chapter 1 - Starting Over

_'Blood. Blood everywhere. Screaming.. why is mom screaming? Police sirens..our front door busted open, police officers with guns pointed towards me. Fear. Fear running through me as they yell at him to let me go...the dull knife blade pressing into my flesh. Crying..crying hard, asking "Why, why are you doing this?!" Time standing still now, until: one shot! Two shots! He falls to the ground, slicing my neck as he pulls me down with him. Can't breathe...blood pouring from my wound as I'm rushed to the hospital...everything slowly fading to darkness..._ '

Zariah sat up quickly in bed, dirty blonde hair stuck to her forehead and cheeks flushed a dusty pink from sweat as she breathed heavily...touching the scar on her neck while attempting to calm the thundering sound of her own heart beat pulsating in her ears.

"It's in the past..it's in the past."

The disgruntled woman repeated to herself..pulling the sheets up towards her chest before falling back down into the comfort of her pillows.

Glancing over with her Amber colored eyes, Zariah read the alarm clock on her Victorian white nightstand .. "7:00 AM" flashing in bright red.

Letting out a soft sigh, the young woman slowly sat up and swung her legs over side the bed...staring down at her feet with a slight frown on her face. Ever since the 'incident' 7 years ago, she had constant nightmares; most of the time the same one occurring over and over again...like a skipping record, taunting Zariah's subconscious what seemed to be 24/7.

She let out a yawn and did a quick stretching number before hopping onto the wooden floor, letting out a "Eeeeep!" of shock at the cool sensation her feet encountered before getting use to it. Her usually straight hair that was slightly wavy as it cascaded over her slender shoulders, was pushed all to one side as she stood up and let a smile slip on her lips. "Today is a new day, time to start fresh!"

* * *

"Ellennnn! Stellaaaa! Breakfast timeeeee!" Zariah called up the stairs of the lofted apartment, a pink apron draped over her pj tank top and shorts...pink bunny slippers on her feet. A door opened and closed, as she heard tiny foot steps heading towards the bathroom, the door closing quietly.

Turning back to the counter, Zariah put headphones into her ears and began humming as she put eggs & bacon on plates for the two females and herself, totally unaware of the male individual coming down the stairs. The woman was now full fledged singing, as she grabbed a spatula and started jumping around.

 **"I love you babyyyy, and if it's quite already, I need you baby to warm the lonely nights  
I love you baby, trust in me when I say  
oh pretty baby, don't bring me down, I pray  
oh pretty baby, now that I've found you, stay  
and let me love you, baby, let me love you..."**

As Zariah continued to hum the song her mother used to sing to both of her daughters, she collided into someone with a small "oomf!" and almost fell to the ground.

However, a pair of toned arms caught her around the waist before the female hit the floor and helped her stabilize. Blushing lightly, Zariah offered a smile to the tall, black haired male as he himself waved quickly and offered a sheepish smile.

"Sorry about that Zariah...I was trying to sneak out before Ellen woke up but heard you calling her for breakfast so..."

She let out a small laugh, as Zariah tucked a strand of loose hair behind her pierced ears.

"N-no problem Scott. Are you sure you don't want to stay for breakfast..? There's definitely plenty for you!"

Scott shook his head as he headed towards the doorway, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose..throwing his backpack over his right shoulder. Man that thing looked pack, but what was in it?!

"Nah, thank you though. I have to head to work..actually, I'm already a few minutes late. Tell Ellen I said bye for me?"

Zariah gave a friendly smile and nodded as Scott let himself out the door. Ellen swore up and down that they weren't an "item" but they were always with each other! Of course, that's because they worked together at the pizzeria...wasn't he a security guard or something?

Zariah shrugged a bit as both Ellen and Stella raced down the stairs and into the kitchen; the older female slamming the counter with her palm.

"HAA! I WIN! In your face, little kid!"  
"Hmph! That's not fairrrr! Sissyyyyy, Ellie cheated!"

Zariah laughed at the two as she put the plates on the table, rolling her eyes with a grin.

"Pear (Childhood nickname for Ellen), you are known for your track record of cheating..so I'm gonna have to side with Ella on this one.."

All three females sat down at the table and began eating, Stella more so picking at her eggs while Ellen and Zariah conversed.

"Sooo, did you happen to see Scott?"

Ellen questioned, Zariah noted the faint blush creeping onto her best friends face.

"Yeah..he caught me singing and dancing like an idiot. I offered him breakfast but he said he had to rush off to work.."

Ellen let out a sigh as she shoveled food into her mouth, a 'day dreamed' gaze crossing her face.

"He's such an awesome friend..well, ya'know, besides you Queenie. But he's second!"

"Hey!"

Stella pipped in with a pout on her face, furrowing her eyebrows and crossing her arms over her chest.

"What about me?!"

Ellen rolled her blue eyes at the 7 year old and rustled her brown locks around, continuing to eat.

"Pshh. You're more like that little sister I wish I never had kiddo. No offense."

The little girl let out a small "hmph!" and hopped down from the table...going up the stairs and into her room.

Zariah shot Ellen a "Really?" look, as the black haired woman shrugged. Zariah collected all the plates on the table, walking towards the sink as she glanced behind her.

"'Just friends' Ellen, really?! He's here 3 nights out of the week..and sleeps in your bedroom..."

Ellen rolled her eyes as her blush worsened, waving her hand back and forth.

"Believe what you want, but he has not made any move whatsoever that would indicate coming onto me. He's just really...intriguing and we have bomb as hell conversations! The guy is really just a friend..and besides he sleeps on the sofa in my room. I swearrrrrrr."

Zariah giggled and started washing the dishes, Ellen getting up and heading towards the stairs. "Hey! Speaking of work, Freddy's is hiring for another waitress. You should totally check it out."

"You think?" the blonde questioned as Ellen poked her head around the corner and nodded.

"Of course! Let's get dressed and head down there, so you can check it out! Stella will obviouslyyyyy love the animatronics, and you can see what the place has to offer for little to no pay!"

The two females laughed at the last part as Zariah finished up the kitchen cleaning and ran upstairs to get herself and her sister dressed.

'Any job would be better than no job!' Zariah thought to herself, but she did not have the slightest clue what door she was about to open and walk through..if she had, then the 21 year old would have turned around and never looked back.

 **A/N: First chapter done! Sorry if it's boring, hopefully the excitement will be picking up soon! c;**


	2. Author's Note

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ ✧ﾟ･: *ヽ(◕ヮ◕ヽ)

Hello my lovies~! M. here, and this will be my FIRST FNAF INSPIRED FANFIC! *throws confetti*

So. I personally haven't played the games, but the storyline behind the whole thing intrigued me to noooo end, and of course I had to check out people's AU in regard to the characters and it motivated me to write MY OWN AU. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ

Anywho, this is "chapter" (even though it's not really even a part of the story, and therefore isn't technically a 'chapter') is just showing y'all MY OC's for the story I'll be writing for you lovely darlings. NONE of the pictures are mine (also for my future chapters, unless otherwise stated by moi), and I do not take any credit for the beautiful faces I've chosen for my characters (I should really start drawing again.. TT_TT), and the "style" I'm going for is a mix between anime-ish as well as other artists interpretations of the FNAF characters. I do this more so for myself so I'm not driving myself crazy trying to "picture" characters, ya'know?! But you are of course allowed to picture them however you would like c;

Now, the moment you've all (hopefully) been waiting for: I PRESENT TO YOU... MY LINE UP OF CHARACTERS! *Bows and slides to the side as a curtain comes up* \\\\\\\\\\\\\ /r/r1wm0j/9

NOTE: I've seen people using the name Mahogany as the Boss's daughter, (not even sure where that started..or how Purple guy was named Vincent .-.) and I was going to as well, buuuut obviously that didn't happen. Oh, and Vincent shall be Purple Guy. Sorry if you hate that name, I love it. ≧◡≦

Also, Vincent is *spoiler alert*: NOT THE KILLER. In my story anyway, but he's still creepy..and a perv.~!


	3. Chapter 2 - Meet and Greet!

Ellen's car pulled up to the Pizzeria and Zariah couldn't help but blink a few times…furrowing her eyebrows while taking in the sight, Stella in the back talking quietly to her plush doll.

The female couldn't quite put her finger on the whole situation…but something about this place just didn't feel…..right?

"..I-is this where you work?!"

Shutting the car off and sliding her keys into her shorts pocket, Ellen cocked an eyebrow towards the other female, who had a look of apprehension on her tanned face. Stella slowly stopped playing with "Mr. Nom-nom" and had a big grin on her face, as she quickly unbuckled and ran out of the car & into the spine-chilling building.

Zariah quickly scrambled out of the car, forgetting the eerie vibe she was picking up from the whole place and ran in after her sister…Ellen whistling and casually following behind.

" _Let the fun beginnnn_ ~!"

/

Zariah had made it into what she assumed was the "main party" room, as there were a few children running around, and a stage towards the front that housed the animatronics Ellen had been talking about.

A crowd of children were in front of it, listening to the performers onstage and cheering like little wild animals…all while the paranoid woman in the back was attempting to spot her sister.

"Stellaaaaaa, where are youuuu?"

Zariah hissed through clenched teeth as she was suddenly approached by a man, a security guard by the look of his outfit…..with a red telephone on his head?!

"O-oh, hey Zariah! What brings you to this lovely establishment?!"

Blinking a few times, she turned towards the male and stared up at the tall telephone man and pointed towards him with a puzzled look.

"I'm sorry…..do I….do I **know you**?"

Before he could answer, a very timid looking guy poked his head from around the phone guy and was blushing. He had curly brown hair and…was super adorable! Zariah blinked again and gave him a engaging smile and wave, which caused the shy male to blush even more.

"T-t-this is e-e-ellen's friend?"

The phone guy nodded his head a few times…his eyebrows (?!) raised up in excitement.

' _Awh…how cute, he stutters_!'

Zariah thought to herself, before snapping back into reality: Stella was missing! Clearing her throat really quick, catching both male's attention, she gave a sheepish laugh and pointed towards the front of the stage.

"I-I'm sorry, I'd really love to stay and…erm….chat and whatnot, but I can't find my little sister and I really ne-"

Before she could finish, Stella came running up beside her older sister, yanking on Zariah's jacket a few times with a wide grin.

"Sissy! I saw Chica, Freddy, and Bonnie! They're so cool! Can we stay longer so I can keep playing with them?!"

A sigh of relief escaped the anxious woman's lips as she bent down to the 7 year old's level, a deep frown forming as she placed her hands on Stella's shoulders.

"Do. Not. EVER. Run. From. Me. Again. …..As long as you stay by the stage, we can stay for a bit I suppose…."

Throwing her arms around Zariah's neck, Stella gave her big sister a hug before running back to the stage and mingling in with the other children once again.

"And that is why I can't stand children."

Ellen muttered as she now stood beside the shy boy and telephone head guy. Zariah turned around and shot her best friend a quick glare, before her eyes softened and offered a small smile to the three.

"Okay, so…Ellen….I would really like to know how this guy knows me. I think I'd remember him."

She said, pointing towards the phone guy, as Ellen grinned and slapped him on the back a couple times, which caused him to stumble forward slightly since he was caught off guard; but he quickly recovered and let out a nervous laugh as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Ohhhh comeon, Queenie! I know the phone head thing kinda throws ya off, but it's Scott!"

"U-uhm yeah, heh…the boss says it keeps the children entertained! And we….we gotta keep the customers happy, right?! Heh heh…"

Static laced Scott's voice as Zariah noticed how much more nervous he seemed at work than the few times she encountered him at the apartment. Ellen had mentioned one time that he was the newly appointed assistant manager…so of course it was probably a stressful task to have thrown upon you.

Ellen pushed the curly haired boy towards Zariah with a small giggle, as his cheeks tinted a deep pink.

"And this guy is Jeremy! Total sweetheart, but very meek and timid!"

Jeremy quickly gave Zariah a wave, before taking off towards what Zariah assumed to be the break room, disappearing from sight completely. Zariah couldn't' help but smile…maybe this place wasn't as bad as she had originally thought.

"So…is that all the workers here or…?"

Scott shook his head (telephone? .-.) a couple times, sticking the clipboard he had been holding underneath his arm, turning to look at Zariah with what she assumed was a smile.

"Oh no…there's a few waiters/waitresses…..there's Fritz, Mike, and….."

He trailed off, as Zariah tilted her head to the side and raised an eyebrow. Scott and Ellen exchanged awkward glances before the black haired woman stepped closer to her blonde best friend and whispered.

"There's one more guy…he's 'Head of Security' here, only because he's on and off again with the boss's daughter, _Amelia_. **Total bitch**. Anyway, he's….wellllllll…..he's…..different."

Zariah made a small "o" with her mouth as she nodded a couple times, even though…she couldn't see how much more different he could've been then Scott who was wearing a fricken phone as a mask and Jeremy who acted more nervous than a whore in church.

"I'm sure he's not that bad!"

She chirped with a beaming smile, which caused Scott to fidget and pull at the collar of his uniform. Ellen bit her lip and shook her head a few times, an expression on her face that Zariah had never seen before.

"N-no Riah…..he's bad news, really. I'd definitely steer clear of that one. He's just..ughhhh. He gives me the creeps, and that says a lot, because I don't get creeped out easily. Not to mention he's a major pervert."

Scott again nodded a couple times, seemingly uncomfortable with the conversation taking place. Clearing his throat, he suddenly gestured towards his office, trying with all his might to calm the edge in his voice.

"H-hey Zariah, I heard Ellen mention you wanted to apply for the waitress opening here, right?! Ahem…how about we go get the paper work all filled out and squared away so the boss can take the ad out of the paper…heh heh."

Oh yeah! The job opportunity, Zariah had totally forgotten about that as she nodded and smiled, glancing once towards the stage to make sure Stella was still there; which she was, happily dancing and singing with the animatronics.

"Sure! Sounds good to me, so…does this mean I'm hired?!"

"Yeah…uhm…of course! Welcome to the Freddy Fazbear Family!"

As Zariah, Scott, and Ellen headed into the office to get all the proper paper work figured out, a new presence entered the Pizzeria, adjusting his purple hat as he grinned his famous "Cheshire cat" grin and stalked into his place of employment; unaware that his life was about to change once he met the newest employee.


	4. Chapter 3 - I'm Watching You!

After getting all the formalities out of the way, and feeling like she'd just signed her life away (why were there so many liability forms?!), Zariah was now officially a Freddy Fazbear employee! Scott informed her that she'd be starting in a couple days, but for now to just get familiar with the place, since she was already here.

She'd also met a couple of the waiters and waitresses she'd be working with besides Ellen, and the two other security guards Fritz and Mike; whom had come in to pick up their weekly paychecks. Fritz was on the heavier side, about five foot eight.….with bright red hair, and freckles running across his cheeks and nose, oh and he was constantly eating. But Zariah didn't mind, he was a very approachable person (plus she could put food away like no other for a female..).

Mike was on the more "built" side, standing at most six foot even, if Zariah guessed. He had blonde hair that was hidden under the baseball cap he wore, and striking blue eyes, which had a slight darkness underneath them, lack of sleep maybe? Mike had simply nodded in response to meeting the female, and appeared to have a very bored expression on his face.  
But Zariah saw the smallest of smiles twitch on his lips for a second, when she offered her loveable smile in return.

As they all conversed amongst themselves for a few minutes, Zariah couldn't help but shake the feeling like…..someone was watching her. Every time she'd glance around her, or look over her shoulder, no one was there. But the feeling didn't go away, however the female decided to just ignore it and enjoy the current company.

Now, after meeting almost all her employees and chit-chatting (minus a certain supposed pervert), Zariah was enjoying some of the pizza the restaurant/entertainment joint had to offer with Ellen and Stella, and noted it wasn't too bad.

"Soooo…whatcha think so far?!"

Ellen questioned as Zariah stuffed more pizza into her mouth, Stella taking small bites as she gazed towards the stage; almost in a trance by Chica, Freddy, and Bonnie performing onstage.

"I fhink this pwace ish gwreat!" (I think this place is great!)

Zariah said through a mouthful of Pizza, quickly swallowing it with a wide grin, as the other female rolled her eyes and let out a chuckle.

"I'm jealous of your ability to eat however and whatever you want without worrying about gaining weight. It's totally unfair for the rest of us 'normal' people!"

Zariah had just finished her 6th slice of pizza, and chugged down a bottle of water before leaning back in the chair, a look of pure content on her face as she sighed happily.

"I thank my daddy and his side of the family….super fast metabolisms!"

Ellen simply chuckled again and after making sure both the younger and older female were done (Zariah secretly slipped another piece off when Ellen wasn't looking), took the empty plates/pizza tray and ran it into the kitchen.

Stella turned towards Zariah who's cheeks were puffed out, as she had quickly stuffed the pizza into her mouth.

"…Uhm…I'm going to go back to the front, okay Sissy?"

Zariah swallowed and nodded her head a couple times, waving for her sister to go as the little girl took off once again. She sat there for a few moments, suddenly realizing that feeling was back again. That feeling of eyes just constantly staring at her, as if trying to burn a hole through her to look into her soul.

Spinning around, Zariah was met with nothing but air which caused the girl to frown deeply. Besides all the kids and their parents in the party room…. _no one_ was watching her. This was starting to spike her anxiety slightly, as she glanced towards the stage to see Stella playing with the other children admiring the animatronic gang.

Ellen returned from the kitchen and walked up to the paranoid woman, who quickly hid her concern and grinned towards her best friend…who was motioning for Zariah to follow her. Getting up and walking towards Ellen, her best friend pointed in the direction of the break room.

"Scott asked me to 'fit you' for your uniform. Basically I'll throw random articles of clothing at you and hope we have your size."

Zariah giggled and nodded her head, as she followed her friend towards the room, turning to make sure Stella was still in her rightful place; which thankfully she was.

"Quit being such a 'noid,"

Ellen teased her friend, as Zariah felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. She couldn't help but be a little hover-y, especially with the feeling of invisible eyes on her….

"Nothing is going to happen to Ella. Stop working yourself up! Here, try this one on, it's the biggest one we've got left, so hopefully it'll fit..for some reason the damn boss wanted to hire stick thin models to be waitresses apparently.."

Zariah was handed the outfit and took it into her arms, blinking a couple times as the blush remained on her cheeks.

"U-uhm…I'm just supposed to change in the break room? What if somebody comes in….?"

"Don't worry. I'll stand guard, besides, I wouldn't let you change in that bathroom of ours even if it was the last place. It needs cleaned bad… _but don't look at me_ , I'm not doing it!"

Ellen let out a quick shudder, before nudging her friend into the break room. Zariah scanned the room quickly, making sure no one was in the medium sized room before heading towards a corner (just to be safe) and set the outfit on the ground besides her.

Letting out a shaky sigh, the female slipped her olive green jacket off her frame, and threw it over a chair that was near her. Zariah then lifted the flowy tank top over her head, exposing her black lace bra for the world to see. Well, that is if Ellen sucked at her "guard" duty and let someone in.

 _'_ _You're fine Riah…just calm down.'_

She thought to herself as she quickly slipped on the uniform top, letting out a breath of relief that it fit. It was a little snug, but nothing Zariah couldn't deal with.

Next, Zariah began unbuttoning her jeans, slowly pulling the zipper down as she proceeded to pull them down the length of her legs. They were about to her ankles, of course showing off her black lace underwear, when the strong feeling came back to her that someone was watching. Gulping, Zariah looked around quickly, irrationally thinking someone had snuck in and was a peeping tom. But of course, there was no one.

A deep frown came on her lips, when suddenly her amber eyes slowly trailed up towards the security camera that was nestled in the upper corner of the room, which _of course_ she had failed to notice before undressing. Zariah gasped and quickly grabbed at the jeans around her ankles and attempted to pull them up quickly, but in the process tripped and fell down on the ground, everything still exposed for the camera.

Scrambling into a sitting position, Zariah swore she saw the lens moving and focusing on…..her? The red flashing light indicating that it was currently on and working sent a chill down the 21 year old's spine. She felt her entire face turn bright red as her jeans now rested up to her knees as she continued sitting and staring up at the camera.

 _'_ _No wonder I haven't been able to see you! You've been watching me through the camera this whole time!._ '

"Uhm….Zariah, are you okay in there? It doesn't take that long to try on something. Oh God, unless you've gotten stuck in that shitty uniform! Hang on kid, I'm coming in!"

Ellen came into the break room swiftly, and when she saw Zariah half naked on the floor staring up at the corner, she paused by the door with a look of concern on her face, as her best friend remained motionless.

"H-hey…are you okay? I see you've got the top on, but did the bottoms not fit or something? Don't worry about it, we can always find a-"

"…..who controls the cameras?"

Ellen was taken aback by the somber tone in Zariah's voice; who continued to stare at the corner and not face her friend. Gulping, Ellen scratched her temple a couple times, nervously shrugging.

"I-it depends who's on shift….all the guys take turns taking watch of the place. Why…?"

Zariah slowly turned to look at Ellen and had a blank look on her face for a few seconds, before an amused smile crept on her lips.

"I've had this feeling for the past couple hours that someone was watching me…but when I'd look? No one was there."

Zariah continued look at her friend, but pointed her finger towards the camera, as Ellen glanced at it and waited for her friend to continue on.

"I think whoever's in there is watching me."

Ellen's blue orbs widened in shock, before she quickly went through her mind to figure out who could be in there.

' _Fritz and Mike aren't working today, so it's not them. Scott was in the office last time I checked, so it's not him. Jeremy refuses to be in there unless Mike or Scott are in there with him…._ _so that means_ _…'_

Ellen suddenly stood still, and a growl erupted from her throat, startling Zariah as she slowly stood up and pulled her jeans the rest of the way up. She noticed the black haired woman beginning to clench her first as she stormed towards the corner of the room, look up at the camera and began yelling at it.

"YOU FUCKING TWISTED SON OF A BITCH. I SWEAR TO GOD WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU…!"

Zariah was shocked at Ellen's sudden outburst at the camera, as the red light slowly faded, indicating that whomever was in there shut the camera off in the break room. Growling, Ellen turned towards Zariah….her face red from anger. The blonde bit her lip as her cheeks still continued to feel heated from embarrassment.

"Who…..who is it Ellie?"

Ellen let out a cynical laugh as she rolled her now livid eyes, spitting out the sentence as if it were dripping with venom.

"That, my dear was the fucking creeper I was warning you about. Vincent **_fucking_** Bishop."


	5. Chapter 4 - Familiar A Gleam

**[A/N: Part of this chapter (towards the end) was inspired while I was listening to Lana Del Rey's version of "Once Upon A Dream"…which is one of my FAVORITE SONGS EVER and Sleeping Beauty/Malificent are my all time favorite Disney Movies, btw. ˘** **˘ Anyway, enjoy~~!]**

"T-there must be some sort of…heh, mistake here."

"MISTAKE?! Scott, you KNOW how Vincent can be-no, scratch that: HOW he is. It was HIM, I KNOW IT!"

Ellen and Zariah were now in the safety of Scott's office after the little break room incident, Scott resting his head (telephone?) in his hands as he shook it back and forth, his eyebrows furrowed up in a worried expression.

Zariah sat in the corner of the office quietly, staring down at her hands which were folded neatly in her lap twisting the ring on her index finger while thoughts ran through her mind. Of course she was a little freaked out by the situation, but Ellen wasn't helping matters by her outbursts. However, Zariah knew it was only because how protective the black haired woman was of her.

"I-I'll talk to him El….I promise. Ahem, but right now…we're currently at work and now is not the appropriate time-"

Ellen slammed her hands down on Scott's desk, causing both the male and Zariah to jump. Bearing her gritted teeth, Ellen glared down the phone guy and hissed quietly.

"And is there ever an ' _appropriate time_ _'_ to be a fucking creep and watch people on surveillance cameras?! If he did that to Zariah, how many OTHER woman….men….shit, CHILDREN, do you think this guy's looking at?!"

Scott gulped and was about to answer when the office door suddenly opened; everyone turning their heads in the direction of it. Zariah stared with widened eyes as a man…. standing about 6'3 came stalking in. He had a thin, but muscular build to him and wore a security guard uniform just like the others…except it was all purple. In fact, as Zariah slowly scanned the male from the corner of the room she noted that…his entire body was purple?! From his skin, to his violet hair that was pulled back into a messy pony tail. Zariah's blue eyes stared at the individual's face, noting the bit of stubble growing on the man's chin….but the thing that captivated her the most were his eyes. They were large and pure white, and the female found herself captivated by them….as if she's stared in them before.

 _'_ _Those eyes….they seem so familiar…'_

"AH-HA! SPEAK OF THE DEVIL. Glad you could WALTZ on in, Vincent. Care to TELL our dear assistant manager what you did?!"

Ellen screeched, pointing an accusing finger towards the male, who simply rolled his white orbs and smirked, before shutting the door behind him as he fully entered the room. A fake pout appeared on his lips as he put a hand over his heart – as if offended by Ellen's comment.

"Why…I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about!"

Vincent's dark, raspy voice dripped with deep sarcasm, which of course pissed Ellen off more as she stormed towards him. Blinking a couple times, and showing off an almost un-human grin, he put both purple hands up as Ellen began poking his chest hard, teeth bared.

"Don't you **dare** act fucking cute with me Vincent, you've gone too far now!"

"Oh darling, do I sense a bit of jealously in your voice?! Is this because you perhaps wanted to be the one peeped on? Hmm? Tell me, what color panties are **_you_** wearing today? Inquisitive minds would love to know~!"

"E-eh?! IN YOUR DREAMS, you freak! This isn't about jealously; this is about you spying on my best friend!"

Vincent let out a loud daunting laugh, as he glanced towards Scott who was now standing himself, his arms crossed over his chest. It was almost as if everyone had forgotten Zariah was in the room, who was now watching in the background at everything unfolding.

"Ahem…V-vincent….is it true you were using the security cameras to watch her?"

The purple man shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and grinned his infamous Cheshire cat grin, a low growl coming from Ellen who was ready to knock that shit eating grin off his face.

"I happened to stumble upon some strange girl undressing in our break room and was checking it out. I didn't realize where you ate counted as a place to strip. …Ooooh, Scott, would you like to go there for me and strip~?!"

A pink blush appeared on Scott's face, as he quickly shook his head and Ellen gasped before reaching up to grab Vincent by the collar of his shirt. The male grinned even wider (if that was even possible) at the female's actions, noting that her face was also flushed.

"Q-quit trying to drag Scott into your perverted world, I think you've done enough damage to him to last a lifetime!"

"Tsk tsk tsk…my dear Ellen, it sounds to me that you're jealous I'll take your man away. Don't worry, I'll let you have my sloppy seconds. I've moved on to better…and _much bigger_ things." Vincent purred mockingly.

"H-he's not my man! What the fuck is wrong with you, dude?!" Ellen objected quickly, her face becoming a dark red as she sighed angrily and shoved Vincent away from her – retreating towards the desk to lean on it and scowl down at the floor, arms crossed tightly against her chest. Scott was now blushing madly too, and reached out to touch Ellen's shoulder but stopped just short and slowly let his arm fall to his side.

Adjusting his ruffled tie, Vincent continued to grin and extended his long arms out, raising his eyebrows.

"Everything. Everything is wrong with me. Now, if we're done having this little chat, I need to get back to work. Just thought I'd share my two cents worth. However, I am disappointed I wasn't able to see this "stripper girl" in person…..I'm dying to see her up close and personal~."

Scott and Ellen's eyes traveled to the corner of the room where Zariah still sat, and Vincent slowly followed suit and when his eyes landed on the female sitting there – they widened in shock for a few moments. He stared deep in her blue orbs…unblinking as she too remained unblinking nor moving. Slowly standing on her feet, Zariah's gaze never left the purple man's as she cautiously took a couple steps forward; she stopped a few feet from in front of him….now staring up at the tall male.

Vincent broke the intense staring match going on between him and the female, to look her up and down slowly as if inspecting every inch of her body. When his hungry eyes landed on her neck and saw the barely visible scar, Vincent felt his throat close up as he took a step backwards; his eyes narrowing as he lightly shook his head.

"No….it can't be…."

Scott and Ellen watched the event unfold as they saw a look of fear mixed with confusion etch itself on Vincent's face for a few seconds as he backed up towards the door, not leaving Zariah's form – who remained staring at the purple man as well, her cheeks flushed the lightest tint of pink.

Without another word, Vincent quickly left the room and slammed the door shut behind him. Ellen's eyes widened in shock, as she turned towards her male friend beside her. He shrugged his shoulder and then turned his attention towards Zariah, who was now staring at the door.

"What…..what was that about?" Scott asked quietly, as Zariah's flush began disappearing. Blinking a few times, she turned her attention towards Ellen and Scott as she tilted her head to the side.

"It's strange…..I feel like I know him….his eyes are….they seem so familiar to me…"

"Queenie….he's a fucking purple guy. Don't you think you'd remember someone like that?!" Ellen questioned with sarcasm lacing her words.

Zariah bit her lip and frowned slightly, holding her arm as she gazed at her feet.

"I know, I know…it sounds…..stupid. But I have this feeling…I-I know him, somehow….I just can't remember."

Scott walked towards Zariah and lightly placed his hand on her shoulder, causing her to break her eyes from the floor and look up at him. He offered (what Zariah assumed) a smile and patted her a couple times before speaking softly.

"I have to admit, I've never seen Vincent act quite like that before….it's a first for me, so perhaps you do know him. But he always has, ahem, that sort of 'effect' on people….s-so to speak."

Ellen walked over and offered Zariah a side hug, as she rested her head on the other female's shoulders.

"Riah, there'd be no way you wouldn't remember a guy like Vince. He's a different story, and not a good one. ….But now that Scott mentioned it, I've never seen him act like that before either. So I guess, anything's possible?"

Zariah bit her lip again and stared off into space, as her heart started beating rapidly and her mind began racing at the thought of the purple man just here a few minutes ago. Scott suggested that they all go home for the day, and to start fresh Monday when Zariah would start her job. So, after Ellen went and collected Stella from the stage, all three females began walking out of the restaurant.

Glancing over her shoulder one last time as Ellen guided her out, Zariah caught Vincent standing in the corner of the party room, leaning against a wall and staring intensively at her. Slowly, an eerie grin crept on the purple guy's face as the last thing Zariah saw was him raise his hand and wave at her.


	6. Chapter 5 - Encounters

A couple weeks had passed since Zariah had begun working at the pizzeria and job wise everything was going smoothly. She picked up quickly on the normal routine the other waitresses/waiters had, and Ellen praised her daily on how well she was doing.

Now if only Zariah could say the same in regard to a certain purple man, who was constantly watching her….  
At first, it didn't really bother the female. She had heard from basically all the employees how big of a flirt Vincent was, and that when someone "caught his attention" he'd stalk them for a couple days but would move on; especially if his on/off again girlfriend Amelia was around. However, after a couple weeks of still feeling eyes burning on her and catching glimpses of purple wherever she went in the work place…. Zariah knew this time was going to be different than the rest.

*Le Time Skip Brought to you by Toast (?!)*

Sitting in the empty break room, Zariah took a huge bite of the food currently sitting in front of her….quietly chewing and flipping through her phone. She had already been on lunch break for about 15 minutes, which meant there was only 15 left. She tapped her foot repeatedly before standing up and walking to the sink – leaving her phone on the table but taking her empty dishes.

"I wish I could have some more to eat, **_I'm starvinggggg_** ~"

Zariah whined with a pout as she rinsed out the container, not noticing the presence in the room with her now. The female's appetite was very unusual and many people couldn't believe it, but that's how she'd always been. In fact, she vaguely remembered an old friend she had use to tease her about all the food she ate, which made Zariah self-conscious. But hey, a girls gotta eat right?

Letting out an annoyed sigh, Zariah spun around and let out a squeak of surprise…dropping the container on the ground with a _'crash'_.

"U-uhn….what are you doing?"

Zariah croaked out in confusion as she stared at Vincent who was helping himself by looking through her phone casually, not even phased nor looking up from what he was currently looking at when the female questioned him. How had she had not heard him, Zariah wasn't sure...but as she stared at the tall male she felt her heart begin to beat quickly as his fingers moved quickly over the lighted up phone screen.

"Hang on…I'm doing something…..mmkayyyyy, there we go!"

Vincent grinned widely and tossed the phone in Zariah's direction, who clumsily caught the cellular device in her hands, her blue orbs wide in confusion/shock. She glanced down at her phone and noticed nothing different about it, and when she looked up the purple male was towering over her. Zariah gasped and instinctively began backing up until she was against the counter.

 _'Shit shit shit shit shit shit.'  
_  
She thought nervously to herself as Vincent pursued until his body was basically leaning against hers. Zariah felt her cheeks burning as she quickly whipped her head to the side in order to avoid eye contact with the eerie man in front of her. Noticing this behavior, Vincent let out a low chuckle as he leaned towards Zariah's ear.

"You've always been so cute when you're flustered~!"

Shivers went down Zariah's spine as Vincent whispered huskily in her ear, his lips brushing against her ear lobe as she felt a knot forming in her stomach. Gulping and letting out a shaking breath, Zariah glanced sideways towards the male and was met with two white orbs staring her in the face.

"W-w-what do you mean 'always been'? Have we met before or something….?"

Vincent slowly moved so his face was mere inches from Zariah's, their noses practically touching as the grin grew wider and the poor female's face turned a tomato red from the close proximity of the male.

"You honestly don't remember anything? This isn't some sort of joke?"

Feeling herself gulp, Zariah quickly shook her head a couple times as she stared back into the white orbs burning into her soul, feeling her heart rate pick up rapidly. Confused couldn't even begin to describe how she was feeling….when they had first met she felt like she'd met Vincent before but quickly dismissed it after pondering it over and over. But now, that confusion came back at the male's words as they continued their staring match.

"Well….this is awkward. Hmm. As much as I'd love to violate you right now, I'm going to refrain – I have more respect for you than that. But I'll be around, later my dear~!"

Without another word, Vincent spun around and casually exited the break room, leaving Zariah staring after him with wide eyes and a heart that threatened to fail due to how fast it was beating. Sinking to the floor in a sitting position, Zariah let out a shaky breath and covered her face with her hands. Respect? For her? Why would Vincent Bishop, the flirtatious security guard that all women (and some men) fawned over, want to treat a simple woman like Zariah with respect?!

Suddenly, the break room door opened once again, and Mike walked in. At first he didn't notice Zariah on the ground by the counter, but then he glanced over in that general direction and stopped once his blue eyes landed on her form sitting on the ground with her face covered.

"H-hey…are….are you okay, kid?"

Quickly glancing up, Zariah met Mike's concerned frown as she nodded slowly a few times, getting to her feet and dusting herself off.

"Yeah…just thinking is all."

The male raised an eyebrow before shrugging his shoulders casually. He walked over to Zariah, bent over and picked up the container she had dropped earlier with her encounter with Vincent and handed it to her….making her blush the slightest bit as he let out a soft chuckle.

"Gotcha. I find myself thinking a lot lately too…sooo…have you ate lunch yet?"

"Y-yeah…I had some rice cakes and fruit, but..I-I'm still kinda hungry. Heh heh.."

Mike walked over to the mini fridge that was sitting in the corner of the break room, opening it and pulling out a brown paper bag. Digging through it, he pulled out a brownie and tossed it to Zariah. Catching it, the female blushed more and looked at Mike who was offering a sheepish smile, as he nodded towards the brownie.

"Go ahead. Have it. Not much of a fan anyway..."

Zariah offered Mike a smile in return as she joined the blonde male at the table and began chatting with him. It was just small talk but after the encounter with purple guy, it was a relief to have a normal conversation after such a strange one.

Mike, who was casually eating his sandwich, raised an eyebrow as he asked,

"So, what's going on between you and barney?"

"E-eh?! Vincent..? N-nothing…why?"

Mike swallowed his food and shrugged a shoulder carelessly as Zariah blushed and looked down at the table….not having touched her brownie yet. Oh great…why was Mike asking this?!

"Just curious, actually, a lot of us are. We've never seen him act so….normal around a woman, like he is around you."

 _'That's normal behavior?!'  
_  
Zariah thought as she let Mike's words sink in before she looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"What….what do you mean?"

"Well, we've noticed that he's obviously super stalker-ish; he does that to almost everyone attractive. But one: it never lasts more than a week at most, unless he's shacking up with the boss's brat, and two: he isn't nearly as…erm, _sexual_ with you, as he is with other people. He even appears nervous whenever you're around, and that's fucking strange. Vincent Bishop is far from nervous….so I was just wondering how you two knew each other."

"I…. well, I feel like I know him from somewhere, he seems very…. **very** familiar, but I can't remember for the life of me how I know him."

Mike nodded and stood up, crimping up the paper bag and swiftly tossing it into the garbage can behind Zariah. She too stood up, quickly shoving the whole brownie into her mouth and devouring it whole and began walking out of the break room with the male as his words burned into her mind.

 _'"He appears nervous whenever you're around…."'  
_  
 _'Why would he be nervous of me?'  
_  
Zariah and Mike exited and went about their job duties, as the camera in the break room flashed red before dimming and dying.

[A/N: Sorry it's short/semi-boring! Kinda in a funk right now, but I wanted to give you guys something at least! :D]


	7. Chapter 6 - Temazepam pt 1

**Chapter Six – Temazepam, pt. 1**

 ***Vincent's POV***

It was his day off, the only one off for a while actually…but yet Vincent found himself outside Freddy Fazbear's with his ( **currently on again** )girlfriend, Amelia. Of course her minions London and Paris were in tow, how bothersome they were. The only reason he even associated with his boss's daughter was a) the benefits of dating the boss's daughter and b) …. unmentionable relations.

"Please explain why of all places we could be, we've decided to eat here darling?"

Vincent questioned quietly, his white orbs displaying a look of boredom as the dark haired female let out an obnoxious laugh; now clinging tightly onto the purple guy's muscled arms with a smirk on her lips.

"Because it's free, of course! Also, London was telling me how there's a new girl here that I need to torture-ahem….I mean, _introduce_ myself to."

The twins let out an identical snicker as Amelia grinned wickedly up at her purple "lover", who in return furrowed his eyebrows at her comment. Usually her sadistic behavior turned the male on, but not when _**she**_ was going to be the target of Amelia and her follower's cruel games. Letting out a small grunt in response, Vincent and the females entered the pizzeria and for once the male hoped the blonde female wasn't here.

 ***Regular POV***

"Hey Riah…you sure you're gonna be alright to work today…I know it's that time of the month and all…"

Ellen stood with Zariah in the break room, and frowned over towards her best friend who looked like complete **shit** , to put it bluntly. The female's usually glowing skin was very pale in comparison and dark blues and purples lined underneath her eyes as if she hadn't slept in week. ….. Which was semi-correct; it had only been day 5 of no sleep. Ever since the incident which happened 7 years ago, every week out of the month – always around the time the incident occurred…Zariah experienced night terrors and nightmares that literally allowed her no peace. Every time her eyes would close, something in her mind would happen and she'd be awake again…. rattled with fear and exhaustion. After so many years, Zariah eventually grew accustomed to this, and even though she was always on the verge of passing out from fatigue she still managed to take care of all her responsibilities…. but not without worrying many people.

Shaking her head slowly, Zariah offered a half-grin towards Ellen, as a yawn escaped the female's mouth.

"No…..I'll…I'll be fine….Ellen. I just... I just…I'm fine."

Ellen bit her lip and watched her best friend shuffle around the break room, preparing to take on her waitressing duties. Despite trying her best to act "normal", most people would notice Zariah's odd behavior and think she was either on drugs or intoxicated. Ellen didn't want her getting into trouble, but also knew that once her mind was made up…Zariah was going to do what her mind was set on.

Letting out a long sigh, Ellen walked over to Zariah and pat her shoulders a couple times, causing the blonde female to jerk her attention and lazily lock her blue eyes with Ellen's brown ones.

"Okay….but please try to….erm, wake up a little bit! The last thing you need is the boss jumping on your ass! Plus….the royal highness is here today with her little servants. I'll wait on their table, because Lord knows they're only here to cause problems…"

Zariah was half-heartedly listening as she nodded slowly a few times in response. Ellen exhaled sharply before walking out of the breakroom and out into the party area, where children were running around playing while parents sat at tables conversing. Frowning, Ellen walked towards a booth and let out a disgusted "tch" at the sight of Amelia hanging all over Vincent (who looked annoyed af, but kept his annoyance hidden to the clingy girl) as she conversed rather loudly with the twins, who laughed at everything their "leader" said.

"Oh my gosh, Mia, you are SO FUNNY!"

"Totally funny. You should be a comedian or something, that's how funny you are!"

Ellen rolled her brown eyes as she approached the table, putting on a clearly fake smile. Sensing the new presence, all four looked towards the female and Ellen earned disgusted looks from London & Paris while Amelia now rested her elbows on the table and leaned her chin on her hand.

"Welcome to Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria, how may I he-"

"Oh cut the bullshit, no need to pretend."

Ellen clenched her teeth at Amelia's interruption, as London snickered and Paris smirked at the female standing before them. Vincent on the other hand was being rather quiet as his white orbs avoided eye contact with Ellen, not interested in the slightest bit to throw random comments at her.

' _Glad to see this girl has you on a leash Bishop….'_

"Excuse me, Elenora?"

"It's Ellen."

"Right, right whatever you say Elenora. Anywho, I would like to request a new waitress. No offense, but I've already had my fun with you. I want this new girl I've heard quite a bit about…. what's her name…? Jessica?"

Ellen glared daggers at Amelia, who innocently blinked up at the other dark haired female, as the pink and blue haired twins giggled in an evil manner. Ellen noticed Vincent tense up slightly…..what was bugging him all of a sudden?

"First of all, her name is _Zariah._ Secondly, she's busy…so I'm the best you're going to get… **princess**."

Amelia let out an exaggerated sigh before pouting her lips out, although her voice dripped nothing but sarcasm as she spoke.

"Oh Elenora, I'm so glad you've finally realized I'm above you. In fact, whatever I ask you will do…or else daddy will hear about this, and we wouldn't want to upset him: would we? Now please, go fetch Lisa for me…"

Not wanting to be around such ignorance much longer, Ellen spun around on her heels and began walking towards the kitchen where Zariah would (should) be doing her waitress duties. Instead, the female happened to glance out of the corner of her eye towards the corner of the party room and found said individual leaned against a wall with her head hanging down. Jeremy and Scott stood on either side of her, concern etched on their faces (an "!" read on the younger boy's face, while Ellen assumed Scott was concerned by the raised eyebrows on his telephone mask).

"Z-zariah?!"

 ***Amelia's POV***

Picking underneath her fingernails, Amelia wore a now bored expression as she waited for this new girl to show up…. thinking of all the different ways she could humiliate the poor female. The boss's daughter grew up always having mean streak, it seemed to run in her family. So although most people would frown on hers and her twin friends behavior…..it was all too familiar to them. Sometimes if it was the "right" person, Amelia could even get Vincent to join in on the ruthless tormenting; but for some reason, he refused when it came to this girl….. _Hannah was it_?

"Hey boss! Look over there!"

London's soft voice cut through Amelia's thoughts, as she glanced towards the blue haired girl.

"Eh….what?"

Amelia's eyes followed London's pointing as Paris stared wide eyed at what her sister had pointed out. Blinking a few times, Amelia's black orbs widened as well at the three individuals across the room gathered around a fourth…. a blonde female, slumped against the wall. A malicious grin began to form on her lips as she questioned her companion without her eyes leaving Zariah's form.

"London….is this the lovely new girl we shall have the pleasure of meeting today?"

"Mhmmmmm! Oh my god, she looks like hell. Look at those bags under her eyes!"

"Ewwww, and not to mention her complexion is so pale and…..not cute."

Paris chimed in the last comment, as Amelia quickly began shuffling out of the booth, not wanting to waste any more time. Oh she was going to have a hay day with this one, as sadistic thoughts circled in her mind. Just as she was about to fully stand up, Amelia suddenly felt a tight grip on her arm – yanking her back down into the seat in a rough manner.

"Ommpf! H-hey, what the hell?!"

Looking down at her arm, which was still captured, Amelia noted the purple hand gripping her and keeping her in place. Her eyes traveled up to Vincent's and met a cold glare as he stared at her quietly.

" _Don't._ "

Amelia raised an eyebrow as she attempted to pull her arm away, with no luck. London and Paris shot daggers at the male who was still staring intensely at Amelia, who suddenly got a smirk on her face…. noting the pain in her arm as he continued to squeeze but not minding in the slightest.

"Oh…. Vincey, did you want a turn first?! How rude of me not to as-"

"I said…... **don't.** We're not doing this."

"But why ever not, we always do this to new people?!"

"…Not this time."

Amelia frowned deeply at her boyfriend as she finally managed to get her arm free, a small bruise forming from Vincent's vice grip. He was acting strange…. not his "normal"

perverted/aggressive self. The frown deepened as Amelia suddenly realized why he had been acting so strange lately…...

"Do you….do you have feelings for this person, Vince?"

Silence followed her unpleasant voiced question as she and the twins now stared at the noiseless male. Rubbing his temples slowly, Vincent got that famous grin on his face as it stretched basically ear-to-ear. A new expression playing on his face as he spoke.

"Feelings….in order to have those my love, you need a heart. I think we've already established I don't have one of those. No, just now isn't the right time for introductions…. better opportunities will arise. We just have to be patient is all."

Amelia's frown slowly turned up into a sadistic smile as she snaked her arms around Vincent's one arm and snuggled up to him, rubbing her head against his shoulder in a cat like manner as London and Paris smirked.

"Oh Vincey, you're so right! We should catch her on a good day, not a day she's already down, that's no fun! Hehehehehe."

"Right, right love…. now…. how about you run along with your little friends and we'll meet up later for some of our usual… **fun**. I have some business to take care of first."

Amelia, gushing like a love-struck school girl, nodded her head a few times and planted random kisses on Vincent's face and neck as she stood up – the twins following suit without being told anything. She waved her fingers towards the male and without another word strolled out of the pizzeria with her minions close behind…..glancing an evil look towards Zariah.

' _Until next time little birdie~!'_

[A/N: This is part one of two, since this chapter is already semi-long to begin with. ^^' Amelia is very much like Vincent, and is both a sadist/masochist. If you can't tell, I'm all for character development which can bore some…..but I've always wrote stories like that so, I'm sorry if it's not even FNAF action for you! I promise once things are out of the way, it will pick up….hopefully .!]


	8. Chapter 7 - Temazepam, pt 2

**Chapter Seven – Temazepam, pt. 2**

By now Scott, Ellen, and Jeremy had guided Zariah into the break room. Usually during this "time", Zariah was able to be secluded inside the comfort of her room in the past…but now that she needed this job to afford her newly rented apartment (same building as Ellen), taking up to a week off wasn't an option. Setting her down at one of the flimsy chairs in the middle of the room, the taller male scratched at the red dial phone upon his head…eyebrows raised in concern.

"W-What is going on here? Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah…..I'm just…I'm fine."

"Y-y-you don't s-s-seem fine…"

Jeremy piped in quietly, as Zariah gave a meek smile closing her blue orbs. Ellen let out a quick huff as she crossed her arms over her small bust and tapped her foot impatiently, irritated by her best friend's nonchalant attitude towards the issue at hand. Nobody noticed a certain purple man slip into the break room and head towards the cabinet as the dark haired female spoke up….

"No. She's **NOT** fine. Every month she needs a week off due to this. …Ughhhh, no! Not because of her period you fucking idiots, I see those looks you're giving me! It's something more complicated than that."

Scott and Jeremy both rubbed the back of their necks and blushed slightly as the three of them continued to converse, Zariah letting out a defeated sigh. Looking down at the floor, she didn't notice Vincent walking up to her with a cup in hand until he lowered himself in front of her. The female's face remained emotionless…mainly because she was past the point of exhaustion, however the pink blush that dusted across her face was more apparent than other times to the individual in front of her due to the paleness of her skin.

Zariah saw the shocked look in Vincent's white orbs for a mere second (most likely at her disturbing appearance) before they softened, and his usual grin played on his lips as he brushed his thumb across her blushing cheek softly. Her heart began to beat faster at the contact, no male besides her father had touched Zariah in a manner such as this. But for some reason….it seemed all too familiar….

"Oi! Grape, what do you think you're doing!?"

Both Vincent and Zariah turned their gazes towards Ellen, who was coming over with a disgruntled look on her face, Scott following close behind as Jeremy gave the exhausted girl one last look/wave before returning out to the pizzeria floor to continue working.

"Well hello to you too~"

Vincent purred as he stood up to face the other male and female in the room. Ellen, whose hands found their way to her hips, raised an eyebrow and noted the tea cup in Vincent's hand. Pointing towards it, she spoke in a questioning tone.

"What is that?"

"Oh this? Well, in most countries, people recognize this as a tea cup."

"No shit Sherlock, what are you **doing with it**?!"

"Just offering the poor girl here a drink of tea…just something to help ease her mind. _Is that a crime_?"

Ellen huffed and started to retort, but the phone guy intervened and gave Vincent a thumbs up…much to the darker haired female's dislike.

"I-I think that's a splendid idea! What can it hurt, Ellie? It's not like he drugged it! Heh heh…."

Ellen shot Scott a death glare, which caused him to gasp slightly and back away from his female companion with hands up as if saying, 'Please don't kill me!'; a sweat drop forming on the back of Vincent and Zariah's head. Guess they know who is in charge in their "secret" relationship….. although it wasn't much of a secret anymore.

While the two lovers bickered, Vincent pulled a chair besides the blonde female and sat down, extending the tea cup out towards her. Taking it from his hands, Zariah examined it by instinct….it seemed to be fine. Glancing her blue eyes up into the male's own white ones, Vincent noted her apprehension and offered a soft grin while nodding towards it.

"Drink up, little finch. This'll help you feel better, I promise~. Just make sure to drink it all."

Blushing again at the male's nickname (which she assumed he used on most females) towards her, Zariah offered a meek "Thank you" before drinking the tea down completely. Mmm, Green Tea with honey…Zariah's favorite. Wait: how did he know that was her favorite tea? Setting the cup down on the table, she licked her bottom lip and offered Vincent another smile as he continued to stare at her. Ellen and Scott continued to squabble in the background.

"What….what are you doing here today…?"

Zariah shyly asked Vincent, who's grin stretched wider as he took the female's small hand in his larger one.

"Why, to see you my dear. You're all I ever think about lately, and-"

"Oh give me a fucking break Romeo wanna-be. You were here with your shitty ass girlfriend, don't even try to lie!"

Vincent's head snapped in Ellen's direction as he spat viciously.

"She's not my girlfriend."

"Oh really?! Then why was she hanging all over you, hmm?"

Zariah blinked as the two glared daggers at each other (poor Scott in the background, just standing there unsure of what to do XD) and Vincent's gripe on the female's hand began to tighten slightly. Letting out a small whimper, he quickly focused back on Zariah and noticed what he was doing. Much to her surprise, Vincent gave an apologetic look as he mouthed "I'm sorry." before standing up to confront Ellen again.

"Scotty boy~! I suggest you get ahold of your girlfriend here before I decide to not be so friendly anymore…"

"Pffft. I don't need him to protect me from you, you purple nuisance. I'm not afraid of you!"

"Oh dear Ellen, you have no idea of what I'm capable of doing…... and you should be very afraid."

Hearing Vincent's dark tone of voice, and before giving the female a chance to fire back, Scott quickly pulled Ellen back towards him and let out a couple nervous laughs. Ellen clenched her teeth and balled her fist up as Vincent smirked at her in triumph. Oh if only she had the opportunity to knock that shit right off his face…

Suddenly a loud ' **THUMP** ' made everyone (minus Vincent) jump at the sudden noise. Ellen's eyes slowly looked in the direction of her best friend, about to ask her if she too had heard the noise. When her eyes fell on Zariah, a look of horror came across her face as she advanced towards her friend…. hand outstretched as her eyes widened.

"Z-zariah…?"

Still sitting in the chair, Zariah's head was now face down on the table as her arms lay limp at her side and she appeared at first glance, to not be breathing. Feeling her throat tighten, Ellen turned her attention on Vincent, who seemed to not be phased whatsoever as Scott ran besides Zariah and began shaking her lightly.

"What….WHAT DID YOU PUT IN HER DRINK YOU BASTARD?!"

Ellen couldn't control herself as she rushed over towards the purple male and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, tears filling her eyes at the state her best friend was currently in. She knew, just knew he had done something to that drink, but she let Zariah drink it anyway. Angry tears threatened to spill as Ellen gritted her teeth and her grip tightened as Vincent just grinned at the distraught female.

"ANSWER ME!"

"I gave her Temazepam to help her sleep."

"….you what...?"

"I _saidddd_ , I gave her Temazepam to help her sleep….it's a common medication for insomnia."

Silence filled the room as a few tears dropped out of Ellen's dark orbs that stared hatefully into Vincent's white ones, Scott in the background speaking up as he stood beside Zariah.

"She's alright Ellie…. she's just…. asleep."

Ellen slowly let go of Vincent's shirt as she backed up and turned towards Zariah…noticing now the gentle rise and fall of her back as she slept peacefully. She felt a hand reach out and wipe the tears that had escaped and flinched slightly realizing that it belonged to Vincent. Giving her a grin, the male pulled out a pill bottle from his pockets and placed them in the girl's hand.

"W-why….why are you helping her?"

Ellen felt herself ask gently as Vincent walked over towards the sleeping female and offered a shrug in response. Standing over Zariah, Vincent towered over her with his hands in his pockets before speaking darkly.

"I know how it feels….to be taunted by the demons of your past. No one, especially a woman like Zariah, should have to suffer."

Scott and Ellen were shocked at the sudden somber atmosphere Vincent created with his words, as he ran his fingers through his lilac locks. Then as quick as the seriousness came, his old demeanor returned as he grinned towards the two others.

"Now, I'll need to know her address so I can take the little cutie home to rest! Ohhhhh, maybe I'll be able to go through her underwear drawer, hehehe~!"

"H-hey, no way you pervert! You're not going to find out where she lives!"

'Back to his old self' Scott thought as Ellen shot daggers at the abnormal male who continued to grin. Scott placed a hand on his girlfriend's shoulder, causing her to whip her head in his direction with harsh eyes. Realizing who it was, her eyes softened as she looked at him with a 'back me up here' look.

"W-well…Ellen, I hate to say this, but Vincent kinda has a point. Zariah shouldn't be sleeping here, boss will have a cow. Besides….we have to get back to work, and he has the day off…..so it only makes sense for him to take her home. …..Minus the looking through her underwear part, that part is a big no-no."

"What?! Scott, you can't be serious right now?!"

Scott offered a sheepish laugh as he shrugged his shoulders, Vincent scooping the sleeping female in his arms. Ellen knew Scott was right, they were at work and she didn't want Zariah getting fired. Sighing in an irritable tone, Ellen gave Vincent the address & number to their apartment building…threatening harm if anything were to happen to Zariah while he was there.

"Oh, and while you're at it, might as well stay until I get off work. Someone needs to be there when Stella gets home from school."

Blinking a few times, Vincent tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow in curiosity towards Ellen as they walked out towards his car, gently laying Zariah down in the back and covering her with his security guard jacket that was left in there.

"Stella? Who's Stella?"

"Ughhh, her little sister! Just try not to freak the poor kid out okay?! And don't you dare lay a finger on Zariah or so help me God…."

Vincent rolled his white eyes and held his hands up, smirking and making his way towards the driver's side.

"Okay okay, I got it. You have nothing to worry about~"

Ellen rolled her own eyes as she gave Vincent her number, just in case something were to happen and watched as the purple man backed out of the parking lot and drove away with her best friend…..a deep frown on her lips.

' _I really hope I didn't just make a huge mistake.'_


	9. Chapter 8 - Purple Freak

It was now the end of her shift, and Ellen was in a rush to get out of dodge and check on both Zariah and Stella. Who knew what that freak was doing to either of them, the thoughts that ran through the female's head almost drove her to the brink of insanity.

Hastily putting on her jacket, Ellen made her way towards her vehicle in the parking lot; Scott following behind as he reached out and grabbed her arm gently to stop her. "Hey, hey, hey! Slow down a bit…" He murmured as an annoyed sigh left his girlfriend's lips. Glancing back at the taller male, Ellen frowned a bit and motioned towards her car with her head.

"Come on babe, I need to get to the apartment and check on everything. Make sure the grape hasn't caused any trouble."

"I know, I know. But you don't want to get yourself all worked up for possibly nothing. I'm sure everything is okay, Vincent may be….erm, strange at times – well, 99% of the time…but when it comes to Zariah, I get this strange feeling that he won't treat her like the rest of us. If that makes any sense?"

Ellen blinked her brown orbs a couple times, noting in her past two encounters with Vincent and Zariah involved that he did indeed act differently than other times. But even still, the bad thoughts would rush into the female's mind and etch themselves there. Shaking her head a few times, the black trusses moving slightly, Ellen pulled her arm away slowly and continued on.

"Fair enough. But I'm all that Zariah and Stella have left, besides their 95 or another year old Grandmother who's two freaking states away! If something were to happen to either of them…I-I wouldn't know what I'd do. I just, I need to go. I'll talk to you later, okay?!"

Scott took off his red telephone mask and let out a saddened sigh, the frown now visible on his handsome face as he watched Ellen get into her vehicle and pull rapidly out of the parking lot and off towards the apartment complex. Although he tried to remain positive with her, Scott knew Ellen was correct. And even though Vincent acted differently with the blonde female, it didn't negate the fact that he _was_ Vincent Bishop: notorious charmer of both men and women as well as a huge pervert.

Ellen arrived at their apartment complex and put the car into park (just barely) before rushing out and into the building, trying to remain calm but somehow found herself panicking. Taking the stairs two at a time, the female couldn't help but realize how paranoid she was acting, but the thought of Vincent's usual behavior being exhibited around Zariah and her younger sister made Ellen cringe. Not that she didn't think her best friend could handle herself if need be, but what if those pills he had given to her still had her knocked out cold? Hard to defend yourself when you're unconscious…

Finally arriving at apartment 210, Ellen took a deep breath as she prepared herself for the worst before opening the front door and stepping inside. The female inhaled deeply and was met with the smell of food cooking or already cooked….which meant that Zariah was most likely up and making herself and Stella dinner.

"Oh thank God…"

Ellen let out a hearty laugh as she dropped her purse on the end table next to the door and made her way through the living room and towards the kitchen. She could also hear Stella from there giggling and talking with Zariah. Happiness once again filled Ellen's mind instead of gruesome thoughts as she rounded the corner to the kitchen.

"I'm so glad to see you're awake. Hey, that purple freak did-"

She stopped speaking when her eyes fell upon the site in front of her. Yes, Stella was in the kitchen sitting at the island…drawing a picture while giggling and talking, but it wasn't with her older sister. Nope. Not at all. It was Vincent. Who turned his attention towards the shocked female in the doorway and grinned wide with raised eyebrows. The little girl too turned towards Ellen and once her eyes fell upon her, Stella jumped down from her chair and ran to give the older female a hug.

"Ellieeee! You're hereeee! Mr. Vincent made me dinner and we played tea party **after** he helped me with my homework! He's so nice, don't call him names!"

"Hello Ellen, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but yes….the purple freak is still here."

The female's pale complexion now had a flush to it from embarrassment as Ellen shuffled her feet and weakly gave Stella a hug back, bending down to the little girl's level with a meek smile, ignoring the purple guy's comment.

"Sorry….it's not very nice to call names, huh? Hmm, say, where's Riah? Have you seen her?"

Stella blinked her amber eyes a couple times as she tilted her head to the side as if contemplating the question she was just asked. Grinning, she nodded her head and pointed in the general direction of the bedrooms.

"Yeahhhh, she's so lazy! She's been sleeping this whole time! Mr. Vincent said she wasn't feeling good and was taking care of her until you got back from work! But you're here now! …Wait, does that mean you have to leave….?"

Stella turned towards Vincent with a large frown on her tiny features, as her eyes widened (imagine puppy eyes) and Vincent grinned down at the younger female before patting her head a couple times, speaking to her but locking eyes with Ellen.

"I suppose it's time for me to go….but I'll be back tomorrow, to check on your sister okay? Maybe we can also play tea party again, or I can take you down to the playground. Sound fair?"

Stella grinned, and much to his surprise, she hugged Vincent's leg tightly and squeezed it for a few moments before letting go.

"Okie dokie! That sounds fun! I hope Zariah is up when you visit tomorrow, so I can tell her all about our fun! Speaking of fun, it's time for my cartoon, bye-bye Mr. Vincent!"

With a quick wave, Stella ran into the living room now leaving the male and female in the kitchen alone. Vincent let out a soft chuckle as he shook his head and turned back towards the stove, moving the pan that was sitting there and moved it to the sink. Ellen stood now, crossing her arms over her chest as she studied the purple male who was now humming while tidying up his work area.

"I thought you hated kids?"

"Eh…I do, but she's tolerable than most."

"Don't think I can't see what you're doing Vincent…"

Turning now to face the female, Vincent offered an evil grin and raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Oh? And **what exactly** am I doing, Miss. Ellen~?"

Ellen blinked her orbs and her lips formed a thin line. What was he doing? Taking care of Zariah and Stella with no troubles, as he said he would? Letting out a small huff, Ellen soon took over at the sink as she began to do the dishes.

"Whatever. Maybe you're not doing something for once, but I still don't understand what your fascination is with Zariah. You literally just met her not too long ago…..you couldn't possibly have a connection with her already."

Vincent was adjusting his lilac pony-tail as Ellen spoke to him, and as she finished, a smirk fell on his lips as he leaned against the kitchen counter, watching the female wash the dishes he dirtied.

"That's where you're wrong, Ellen. Zariah and I go back, quite a long time actually. But for whatever reason, the poor thing can't remember. So, I am trying everything in my willpower to remind her of her past…"

"So, then you're aware of what happened to her parents then correct? What happened to her?"

Ellen noticed Vincent suddenly tense up, and he slowly started towards the front door with a lazy shrug, as if trying to brush off the tension he hoped the other female didn't notice.

"Yes, I'm fully aware. But that's not what I'm trying to get her to remember. Listen, I'll stop by tomorrow and check on the both of them. Thanks for trusting me not to fuck things up, it truly means the world to me."

His last comment was dripped with sarcasm, but the look in his eyes suggested sincerity as he nodded to Ellen and walked down the hallway and out the front door….Ellen heard him and Stella exchanging quick "byes" as he left. Letting out a deep sigh, she stopped washing the dishes and dried her hands off before starting towards Zariah's bedroom.

Slowly peeking into the room, Ellen was met with darkness before her eyes landed on Zariah's sleeping form in her bed. She was out of her work uniform (which laid neatly in a chair) and in a night shirt, but looked content and peaceful. Smiling softly, Ellen entered quietly and sat gently next to her best friends sleeping form, carefully moving a strand of blonde hair out of the sleeping woman's face.

'Well….it seems that our purple friend isn't as bad as I thought…'

But little did Ellen now, there were many secrets that would soon be uncovered….

[A/N: I'm so so so SOOOO sorry for not updating sooner guys! I've literally had no motivation for this story, and although I love it, I feel like I might start a new one. Not sure….what do you think? This was also kind of rushed because I wanted to at least throw out another chapter, but as I said….might just start a new story! Not 100% sure yet though! If people are enjoying this then I'll get my head back in the game and continue on…otherwise, yeah. New content will happen!]


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